Casual Dining

Hugh Osmond: Casual dining chains have "no future”

27-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Hospitality entrepreneur Hugh Osmond has said that high street casual dining chains have “no future” after Coronavirus.

Nando’s pledges further carbon footprint reductions and better chicken welfare

27-Jul-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Nando’s plans to reduce the carbon footprint of its meals by a further 50% following a reduction of 40% since 2015 and has also committed to higher welfare chicken.

Friday Five: The week's top news

24-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

This week's main news stories includes the Government calling for evidence as it prepares to conduct a business rates review, and another raft of restaurant closures from across the industry.

Bristol-based chefs and restaurateurs come together to create Breaking Bread pop up

24-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Bristol-based chefs and restaurateurs including Josh Eggleton, Pasta Loco and The Pipe and Slippers will be serving food and drink at a newly created outdoor eating and drinking space in the city.

Leon to open four new motorway service station sites

24-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Healthy fast food chain Leon says it is in the process of opening four new restaurants within motorway service station locations.

First person

Natalie Tangsakul: “Help, I opened a restaurant during lockdown"

24-Jul-2020 By Natalie Tangsakul

Attempting to open a restaurant during lockdown has been exhilarating and scary, exciting and stressful, but I would not change it for the world.

Mandatory calorie counts on menus being reconsidered by Government

24-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Restaurants could face new requirements for calorie counts on menus under proposals being considered by the government.

Restaurant and pub groups see slight improvement in trade during second week of reopening

24-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Managed pub, bar and restaurant groups in England have seen sales slightly improve during the second week of post-lockdown trading, according according to latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker data.

Majority of pubs and restaurants won't pass on VAT cut, says leaders poll

24-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

The majority of pubs and restaurants say they intend to use the Chancellor’s reduction in VAT from 20% to 5% to help their struggling finances rather than pass on price cuts to customers.

Roast owner Marc Bevan: "I'm like a caged animal"

24-Jul-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Marc Bevan says re-opening his Roast Restaurant in Borough Market is not viable following the collapse of both the tourist and office worker markets in central London.

Face mask announcement underlines safety of hospitality venues

24-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

UKHospitality has hailed the wide-ranging exemptions for hospitality venues as 'a tribute to the robust nature of the sector’s Coronavirus safety measures'.

Pizza Express to reopen 150 more restaurants in the next fortnight

23-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Pizza Express says it will reopen more than 150 of its restaurants across the UK by early August.

Calls for Government to extend insolvency bill

23-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Consulting and advisory firm RSM has called on the Government to urgently consider extending the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act beyond the end of September.

Over 32,000 restaurants sign up for Eat Out to Help Out

23-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

More than 32,000 restaurants across the UK have so far signed up to the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme, according to the HMRC.

A third of furloughed hospitality staff 'at risk of redundancy', warns PricewaterhouseCoopers

23-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

A new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has warned that a third of furloughed workers in UK hotels, restaurants and cafes could lose their jobs by the end of the year.

Face masks will be mandatory when buying takeaways from cafés and restaurants in England

23-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis has said it will be compulsory for people to wear face masks when buying takeaway food and drink from cafés or restaurants in England.

Operators band together to launch Restaurant Kits platform

23-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

A group of independent restaurant operators led by Mac & Wild co-founders Andy Waugh and Calum Mackinnon have joined forces to launch an e-commerce site delivering restaurant meal kits nationwide.

Stevie Parle to bring some JOY to former Dock Kitchen site

23-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Stevie Parle and long-time designer friend Tom Dixon are returning to London’s Portobello Dock – once home to the Dock Kitchen restaurant - to open an outdoor restaurant and farm shop.

Benares team to launch street food restaurant in Camden Market

23-Jul-2020 By Joe Lutrario

The team behind top-end Mayfair Indian restaurant Benares will launch an Indian street food restaurant at Camden Market early next month.

Landlords offer move to turnover rents

22-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Capital & Counties Properties PLC (Capco), the management company for the Covent Garden estate, says it is offering some tenants the opportunity to move to a turnover-linked rent agreement.

1,000 people apply for one job in 24 hours at D&D's 20 Stories restaurant

22-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

D&D London says it has received almost 1,000 applications in 24 hours for one job position at one of its restaurants.

Advice

Five marketing tips for post lockdown success

22-Jul-2020 By Charlie Terry

The easing of lockdown has enabled restaurants to return to some sort of normality. Here's five marketing tips to help as you reopen.

Boparan to remove £10 cap from Eat Out To Help Out scheme

22-Jul-2020 By Joe Lutrario

Boparan Restaurant Group is to remove the £10 cap from the Government’s Eat Out To Help Out discount scheme at the majority of its restaurant brands to offer customers 50% off all food and soft drinks irrespective of how much the bill comes to.

Fridays launches Butcher's Boxes for delivery as part of reopening strategy

22-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Restaurant group Fridays is the latest company to enter the home delivery market with the launch of its Fridays at Home range of meat boxes.

Promotional Feature

Nilco helps to create one of the safest restaurants in the UK

22-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Nuovo restaurant in Northampton is using Nilco’s range of cleaning and sanitising products to ensure its safe reopening after lockdown.

Slim Chickens begins south coast expansion with Southampton launch

22-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

The first of five planned franchise-run Slim Chickens restaurants for the south coast will open within Southampton’s popular in WestQuay Shopping Centre next month.

Government seeks evidence for business rates review

21-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

The Government has launched a call for evidence as it prepares to conduct a 'fundamental review' of business rates.

Latest opening: Dishoom Birmingham

21-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

The Midlands city is home to the latest installation of the popular Indian restaurant group, its eighth venue.

Majority of operators see like-for-like sales plummet after reopening

21-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

A survey of the Hospitality Professionals Association’s (HOSPA) membership shows that, since reopening, two thirds of operators have seen their revenue plummet by more than 50% on the previous year.

Only A Pavement Away launches 'jobs board'

21-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Hospitality charity Only A Pavement Away has launched a 'jobs board' to support those in the industry who have lost their job and are seeking new employment.

Shaftesbury sets out plans to temporarily pedestrianise Seven Dials

21-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Shaftesbury PLC has revealed plans to implement temporary timed road closures in London's Seven Dials from August 3.

Pub groups launch own discount schemes ahead of next month's Eat Out to Help Out

21-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Pub groups Stonegate and Oakman Inns have launched their own version of the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out discount scheme two weeks in advance of the official one, that runs during August.

River Cottage permanently closes Winchester restaurant

21-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Kitchen in Winchester has closed permanently as a result of the Coronavirus crisis.

Wagamama announces double closure following business review

21-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Wagamama is to permanently close two of its London sites, including its 'noodle lab' in Soho.

Michelin-starred Wilks in Bristol closes permanently

20-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Bristol's Michelin-starred Wilks restaurant has announced it will not reopen.

£50m 'regeneration project' planned for Edinburgh

20-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

A 'major regeneration project' that will see the development of a hotel, spa, sky bar and city centre ‘hub’ in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh has been unveiled.

Rick Stein Group launches Padstow pop up

20-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

The Rick Stein Group has launched a pop-up restaurant in the Padstow space that usually houses Rick Stein’s Cookery School, which is to remain closed until the autumn.

Sector outlook remains gloomy as consumers exercise caution

20-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Consumers are 'returning cautiously' to hospitality with many industry leaders saying the outlook for the sector remains gloomy, according to the latest Future Shock report from CGA and UKHospitality.

Pret to launch vegan bakery range

20-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

Pret A Manger is to introduce vegan bakery counters across all 10 of its Veggie Pret sites from tomorrow (21 July).

Government amendment asks operators to ensure outdoor areas include smoke-free sections

20-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

An amendment to the Government's Business and Planning Bill will demand that pubs, cafes and restaurants operating outdoor dining and drinking spaces make 'reasonable provision' for smoke-free seating.

Azzurri announces raft of closures and redundancies following pre-pack sale

20-Jul-2020 By James McAllister

The Azzurri Group is to close around 75 restaurants in its estate, with a loss of more than 1,000 jobs.

New powers for local authorities to shut down businesses introduced

17-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Local authorities will have the power to close premises and stop events, including those run by hospitality businesses, if they believe they pose a threat to public health.

Friday Five: The week's top news stories

17-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

The topic of no shows in restaurants stole the headlines this week with already struggling businesses hitting out at customers for failing to honour their reservations. And here are some of the other main stories of the week
...

Government's reopening of leisure venues described as "great boost" for hospitality

17-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

The Government’s announcement on the further easing of lockdown restrictions and the reopening of additional parts of hospitality has been welcomed by parts of the hospitality sector.

Pizza Express and Azzurri expected to announce restaurant closures

17-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Italian causal dining chains Pizza Express and Azzurri are expected to announce restaurant closures and financial restructures as the fallout from the Coronavirus pandemic continues.

Flash-grilled: Sandra Leong

17-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Sandra Leong is the UK director of Singaporean restaurant Old Chang Kee, which has two central London locations

Consumers show support for mandatory face coverings in hospitality

17-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

The majority of customers in restaurants and pubs would like to see waiting staff using face coverings, according to new research from guest experience management expert HGEM.

Soho's Milk & Honey to close in September after 18 years

17-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Iconic Soho bar Milk & Honey will close for good in September after 18 years.

Vapiano’s UK restaurants acquired by investor group safeguarding 209 jobs

16-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Pizza and pasta group Vapiano’s UK restaurants have been bought by a group of investors led by former Vapiano director Mario Bauer in partnership with the Savour Group in a deal that safeguards 209 jobs.

The Lowdown: #NOMORENOSHOWS

16-Jul-2020 By Restaurant

Manchester restaurants are backing a campaign to appeal to customers to honour their reservations or cancel them in advance if plans change.